


Take My Hand, Take My Whole Life Too

by Kaiperion



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Cold Weather, Fireplaces, M/M, Mistletoe, R76 Secret Santa, Slow Dancing, sixteen whole blankets, soft old men being sleepy fluffy cuddlebugs on christmas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 05:17:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13160067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaiperion/pseuds/Kaiperion
Summary: What is it that wise men sayWhen old fools wake on Christmas DayTo gift their hearts and blessed say "I love you""...that they could still call each other husband and mean it with all the love a marriage should entail; that Gabe could love him back after everything. It was almost enough to make Jack emotional..."





	Take My Hand, Take My Whole Life Too

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CharredAshes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharredAshes/gifts).



> My gift to strikecommandergabriel @ tumblr.com for the R76 Secret Santa event and also my first ever Overwatch/R76 piece! I'm excited and terrified lol
> 
> I tried to make this as domestic as possible so Happy Holidays, strikecommandergabriel, and I hope you enjoy!

It was cold.

Jack blinked the sleep from his eyes and took in the chill and his location. The safehouse was still dark but pale blue light pressed against the blackout curtains indicating the sun was rising. He could see the dust swirling in the air like snowflakes from the gentle, white beam that spilled in through the sides of the fabric. His arms were full of a solid warmth, a head tucked under his chin and arms wrapped around his back, latched onto like a damn octopus.

Not that he minded of course. This was pretty typical as far as mornings went.

Ever since they had been reunited, Gabriel was almost literally attached to his hip. Any kind of separation, necessary or otherwise, produced a choking anxiety that Jack just could not bear to see him suffer through.

So here they were, wrapped up in no less than sixteen blankets and holding each other so tightly.

Jack’s arms squeezed only slightly before he shifted to stretch. Gabriel, still asleep, inhaled slowly but deeply and nuzzled further into their embrace in subconscious response. With a soft hum, Jack instinctually leaned down and pressed his lips to his husband’s hairline before leaning back and looking over his shoulder.

A clock on the nightstand provided the time with a soft cerulean glow: 4:13 AM.

It was a strangely soft kind of morning, calm air and almost dream-like in quality.

His stomach clenched uncomfortably and he sighed. Their body schedules were still adjusting to a life with nowhere to go and nowhere to be and nothing to do, though he doubted he’d ever get over the military-instilled wake time before 7:00 AM.

He figured he might as well get some breakfast started.

The hard part of that was getting Gabe to wake up. The last thing they needed on this soft, chilly morning was a panic attack from Jack’s own forgetfulness. He was anything but neglectful.

Another soft press of lips to Gabriel’s forehead and Jack softly murmured his name. It took a few attempts but finally Gabe showed signs of waking, a tensing of the muscles in his back as he stretched minutely and then tucked back into Jack’s chest with a soft whine at being woken up.

“Come on, angel. Rise and shine.” Jack tried again, nuzzling at his temple gently, “It’s Christmas morning.”

“Nn…” Came the muffled response, though he did lean into Jack’s soft touches.

The other man chuckled softly then sighed in a dramatic fashion, “At least get up so I can make you breakfast.”

Gabe tightened his grip in defiance.

Another sigh and Jack pulled back a little to admire the soft blue glow cast over his husband in the dark light. A surge of warmth he could only describe as an intense love filled him and made him want to pepper the other man’s face in kisses, but Gabe opened his eyes slightly and Jack was pierced with a heavenly amber that sent his heart fluttering. God, he loved this man.

How blessed he was to say that he had found him again after all they had been through; that they could still call each other husband and mean it with all the love a marriage should entail; that Gabe could love him back after everything. It was almost enough to make Jack emotional. It was _everything_. But Gabe suddenly ducked back into his embrace, cutting off the view, and starting him back at square one.

Jack would have normally been content to be resigned to his fate. However, he had plans and presents to distribute and his husband wasn’t going to hamper that by being a lazy log in bed.

His main enemy was the cold. So he would have to be creative in combating that. Luckily he had plenty of practice.

The heartbroken sound Gabriel made as Jack pulled away and sat up was almost enough to make him fall back to his embrace again but he grit his teeth instead, laughing as Gabe greedily sank into the warmth he left behind on the mattress and glared at him from beneath their abundance of blankets. Shaking his head, Jack stood and stretched properly before turning back around to his husband.

Gabe returned his gaze but the mounting anxiety was there. He was afraid he was going to leave him alone.

Jack gave him a sad smile and leaned down to press a kiss against his temple. “I’m not going anywhere you aren’t, sunshine.” He said honestly, and before Gabe could question that, he threw off all but one of the covers and slipped his hand beneath it to lift the older man into his arms.

Gabriel yelped but adjusted accordingly, holding tight to the blanket and wrapping his legs around Jack’s waist and tucking his head under his chin. From there, it was a simple trek to the kitchen where Gabe was sat on the counter huddled in his blanket as Jack began to mill about the cabinets, preparing some omelets and coffee.

The coffee finished before Jack finished adding some bacon and veggies to their eggs and he poured his husband a cup which the other man hunched over happily, absorbing the warmth as he tried to keep his eyes open.

As the omelet cooked, Jack snuck glances at Gabe, making sure he didn’t fall back asleep or fall off the counter. It was clear he was having a tough time of it. There were a couple aborted almost-dumps of scalding hot liquid in his lap. That would have woken him up for sure but at the cost of their lovely morning so far. Couldn’t risk it.

The first omelet was almost done and only needed to be flipped a couple more times. So Jack took the lull to grab the warm mug from Gabe’s hands, ignoring his wine of protest, and replace it with himself.

Gabe’s whining stalled immediately as Jack muscled gently between his legs and set both his hand on either side of Gabe’s hips, caging him in. His eyes were hooded and tired in that ‘just woke up fifteen minutes ago’ sort of way and Gabriel grasped onto his blanket just to give his hands something to do as he stared back just as sleepily.

Jack lifted a hand to cup his cheek and he melted at the warmth, nuzzling into it, craving the contact and releasing a soft, shuddering sigh as though expelling the cold from his lungs into the space between them. His thumb swept gently over Gabe’s cheek before he leaned in and pressed their lips together in one of the more tender kisses they had shared.

A bubbling warmth spread through him at the firm pressure and gentle glide of tongue against his lower lip and he opened his mouth readily, greedy to deepen the kiss. Jack liked to tease him and did so a couple times by moving back when he knew Gabe had fallen into a slight daze from their kiss, just to see him lean after it and whine in protest.

At least until a faint smoky smell invaded his nostrils the next time Jack pulled away, their lips only a breath apart and both eyes hooded and glazed, pupils blown wide.

“The eggs are burning.” He murmured softly, not really caring if it meant that he could keep kissing his husband.

But Jack jerked away fully with a curse and rushed over to the stove to turn off the heat, trying to save their breakfast.

Jack’s deep sigh let Gabriel know that it was a lost cause and a quick glance confirmed that the eggs were overdone and unpleasant. That was a shame. Those had been their last eggs.

Gabe picked up his mug to continue drinking his coffee, though it had cooled considerably, and watched as Jack cleaned up the eggs and stuck his head in the freezer for another option. He came back with a box of frozen waffles.

“This is all we have.”

“That’s fine.”

“I’ll need to go to the store tomorrow.”

That was not fine but Gabriel could hold off his anxiety until then.

One Eggo breakfast later and they were both wrapped comfortably in christmas sweaters and three blankets, enjoying the gifts they had gotten each other. Jack reading his new book and Gabriel knitting happily with his new yarn and needles. The fireplace crackled in front of them, the coffee table moved out of the way, off to the side so they could enjoy the warmth unimpeded by furniture. The light from the flames was the only thing lighting the room as the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon to brighten the day. Only the christmas lights and festive decorations could compete and the ambiance in the room was warmth and comfort.

Jack was laying with his back against one of the armrests of their couch, Gabe nestled between his legs as he knit, head against his chest. It was everything that Jack had wanted retirement to be for them and he wished these good days came more often instead of being consistently interrupted by aches and anxiety and possible cover scares. Relaxing like this was so rare now, with the constantly looming threat of being taken away from each other again. It made this day, this moment, so much more important; in need of appreciation.

Jack dogeared his page and set his book aside, wrapping his arms around his husband for a quick squeeze and kiss to his temple before sitting up and patting his side a little. “Sit up a second, I have to get up.”

“Where are you going?”

Jack frowned at the barely restrained panic in the other man’s voice, “To get your last gift.” He squirmed out from behind Gabe, placating him with a gentle tweak to his ear, “It’s just in the closet over here. I won’t be out of sight.”

He watched Gabriel swallow and nod, looking back to his knitting with a slight flush of embarrassment. “I thought we agreed to only one gift each this year.”

“When have I ever passed up the opportunity to shower you with gifts, Gabe?” Jack responded with a chuckle as he opened the closet door and pulled out a medium-sized box wrapped in festive wrapping paper and topped with a white ribbon bow.

Gabe’s eyes widened and he sat up fully as Jack walked back over to him, finishing his stitch and stabbing his needles into the yarn ball to save his place. “God, Jack, what is that?”

“Hopefully something memorable.” He sat the box at his feet, between his knit socks and smiled expectantly, “Go ahead and open it.”

Curiously, Gabe dug into the wrapping paper and cut open the box with a thumb nail.

Inside, a small wicker basket sat with various scented Epsom salts and bath bombs, a soft scrubbing puff and some high dollar soaps and moisturizers.

Jack smiled as Gabriel’s eyes lit up, but his brows furrowed in confusion only a second later, “Jack, we don’t have a bathtub.”

Jack sheepishly looked away and chuckled, “I, uh-.... I had Winston requisition us one. He kept reminding me that if we needed anything we only had to ask, so I called this in. It’s practical too. You can use it when your knees are hurting or on cold days like this to warm up.” He smiled brightly and looked back, “Should be here by next Tuesday."

Gabriel seemed at a loss for words and could only raise his hands like a child wanting picked up to convey what he needed, and Jack was well in-tune by now to know exactly what that was.

He leaned down into Gabriel’s embrace and met his lips with his own, kissing him chastely. “You don’t need to say anything, sunshine. You know I’d do anything for you.” He pulled back a little to kiss his forehead and then stood straight again. “There’s also something under that so keep going.”

Confusion knit his husband’s brow again and he lifted the wicker basket out of the box to set aside. Then recognition flashed across his features and his eyes started to water, smoky wisps beginning to swirl on his shoulders with his emotion. “ _Oh_ …" His voice cracked as it broke softly, "It’s our song.”

The song they danced to at their wedding. The song that they both sang to each other whenever they could before everything went to shit. Back before they were older and changed.

Gabriel pulled out the large, flat square, worn around the edges in its age but useful for protecting the prize within.

“Took me forever to find the record but I tracked it down with Sombra’s help.”

“Jack…”

“It’s for this.” Jack pulled a small case from behind his back and set it between them, opening the latch and lifting the top part up to reveal a record player inside.

“ _Jack…_ ”

“Hush. Let me spoil you.” Jack grabbed the record and pulled it from its sleeve, setting it in the player and adjusting the needle before pressing play. As the record began to spin, he stood up suddenly and held out his hand for Gabe to take.

Gabriel took it as the first few notes began to play and Jack pulled them to the center of the room in front of the fireplace. He buried his face in his husband’s shoulder as they began to sway with the music and as the first dulcet tones of Elvis Presley flowed through the air, Jack’s lips at his ear fluttered in time with them, singing softly in his ear just like they used to.

 

_Wise men say only fools rush in_

_But I can’t help falling in love with you_

 

That was probably when the tears started flowing but thankfully he didn’t ruin the song with his gross sobbing, only ruined Jack’s shirt. He deserved it for springing this on him.

Still, Gabriel found his fingers gripping onto the fabric of Jack’s sweater at his back as they slowly spun in a circle in the middle of the living room. Every other break in the lyrics, Jack would press a tender kiss to his ear, to his neck, his cheek, temple and Gabe felt himself melt a little more in his arms each time. He stepped onto Jack’s feet and his husband chuckled as he lead them in that gentle circle.

 

_Like a river flows surely to the sea_

_Darling, so it goes_

_Some things are meant to be_

 

For the second time that morning, Jack marvelled at their luck. Not everyone got this second chance with their partner. Not after everything in the world that had torn them apart. He might even go so far as to say their situation was unique and everyone could be damn sure he was going to cherish every second with this man in his arms who had his heart in the palm of his hand.

 

_Take my hand, take my whole life too_

_For I can’t help falling in love with you_

 

As the song quietly faded to its completion, the only sound besides the crackling of the fire was the subtle click of the needle lifting off the record. Still, even in the silence they kept spinning as though the music hadn’t stopped, a comfort in their embrace and the motion. It wasn’t until Jack realized he was slowly rocking them to sleep, that he looked up and realized where they had finished their last spin. Coincidence or fate had a sense of humor it seemed and Jack’s soft sound of delight had Gabe looking up too through bleary eyes.

Mistletoe.

A giggle burst from Gabriel’s chest and he looked to Jack expectantly. “Well?”

The other man smiled warmly, expression so full of love and adoration that Gabe almost choked up again but Jack leaned forward to kiss his husband tenderly, deeply and Gabriel was breathless by the time he pulled back.

It took a moment for him to open his eyes and he was internally grateful that Jack’s arms were there to keep him steady.

He was kissed again and Jack pressed their foreheads together, just holding him tight and close as though making up for lost time. “Merry Christmas, Gabe.”

“Mm… Merry Christmas.” Gabriel found he could crack his eyes open just slightly and stare into the sea of blue gazing back at him, “I love you. So much.”

“I know, angel. I love you too.” Another chaste peck, soft and short and sweet, “Always have; always will.”

**Author's Note:**

> The song is _Can't Help Falling In Love_ by Elvis Presley
> 
> I would like to thank @apostapal for the beta and helping me through parts of this too and also reminding me this song exists! Their help and headcanons absolutely bled into this as well as some of my own!
> 
> You can find me at [kaiperion.tumblr.com](kaiperion.tumblr.com). Stop bye and say hello!
> 
> Happy Holidays to everyone!


End file.
